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Cloudy, but fine: Aussies play down Olympic pool evacuation

The forecast at the Rio Olympic pool is cloudy with a chance of … infection?

Aug 05, 2016, updated Aug 05, 2016
A swimmer enters the pool during a training session ahead of the Olympics. Photo: Matt Slocum, AP.

A swimmer enters the pool during a training session ahead of the Olympics. Photo: Matt Slocum, AP.

Australia have again risked being branded whingers after asking swimming officials to clean up the Rio Aquatics Centre warm-up pool over infection fears.

Dolphins assistant coach Michael Bohl felt he had to pull Australian swimmers – including dual world champion Mitch Larkin – from the pool overnight because the quality of the water concerned him.

They instead trained in the adjoining – and much more crowded – main competition pool.

“That pool looked really cloudy,” Bohl said.

“Rather than risk eye, ear or any other infection we brought them in here.

“It started out nice but for some reason as the morning wore on the water got really soupy in that pool.

“I just asked FINA officials then and they are working on it.”

Australia have already copped plenty of flak for raising concerns about the state of Rio’s Olympic facilities.

Australian Olympic team boss Kitty Chiller delayed the team’s arrival at the athletes’ village after dubbing it “uninhabitable” due to significant plumbing and electrical concerns.

While the affable Bohl was not trying to cause another stir, he did compare the athletes’ village with a camp site.

“It’s no Taj Mahal, it’s no utopia but it’s fine,” he said.

“It’s almost like a camping thing. One day the hot water is not working and next day it is.

“Some rooms water is flooding around.

“They are all things that are part and parcel of what happens.

“You don’t expect luxury when you come here but everyone is under the same conditions.

“It’s just like being a chameleon and adapting to the conditions.”

Bohl had no problem with the main competition pool.

“It’s absolutely beautiful, it’s pristine,” he said.

 -AAP

Topics: Rio Olympics
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